How to Edit Photos in Lightroom: A Simple Routine

Lightroom is the photo editor many professional photographers use, but you don't need to be one to get great results. For business owners editing product shots, headshots or social photos, a simple routine in the Light and Color panels covers most of what you'll ever need. Here's that routine, in the order I'd do it.

A simple Lightroom editing routine

1. Select the photo and click the Edit icon.
2. Crop and straighten first, so you're only editing what you'll keep.
3. Click Auto in the Light panel to get a starting point.
4. Fine-tune the light with Exposure, Contrast, Highlights and Shadows.
5. Fix the colour with White Balance in the Color panel.
6. Add a little Vibrance if the colours look flat.
7. Tidy up dust spots or distractions with the Healing Brush.
8. Compare before and after, then export.

The Light panel, slider by slider

Control	Drag right to	Drag left to
Exposure	Brighten the whole photo	Darken the whole photo
Contrast	Increase contrast	Reduce contrast
Highlights	Brighten light areas	Recover detail in bright areas
Shadows	Reveal detail in dark areas	Deepen dark areas
Whites	Set the brightest point	Soften the brightest areas
Blacks	Lift the darkest areas	Make blacks richer

Adobe's tip for Whites is a good one: hold Alt (Option on a Mac) while you drag the Whites slider to the right, and stop when small spots of white or colour appear. That shows you exactly where the brightest parts of the photo turn pure white.

Fixing colour with white balance

If a photo looks too orange under indoor lights or too blue in the shade, that's a colour cast. In the Color panel you can:

• Choose a White Balance preset from the menu, such as Daylight or Cloudy.
• Use the eyedropper and click something in the photo that should be neutral white, grey or black.
• Drag Temp between blue and gold, and Tint between green and magenta.

Adobe notes you'll see more white balance choices with raw files than with JPEGs, which is one reason photographers shoot raw.

The catch: Saturation is the slider that ruins photos

When a photo looks dull, it's tempting to crank up Saturation. It boosts every colour equally, which quickly makes skin look orange and products look fake. Adobe's tutorials recommend Vibrance for a subtler result: it adds saturation to the colours that need it most and protects skin tones. Reach for Vibrance first, and use Saturation sparingly.

Small fixes that make a big difference

• Healing Brush: removes dust, crumbs and small blemishes.
• Selective edits: the Brush, Linear Gradient and Radial Gradient tools adjust just one area, such as brightening a face or darkening a sky.
• Texture and Clarity: add definition to products and details. Go easy on faces.
• Dehaze: cuts through haze in outdoor shots.
• Sharpening: a light finishing touch before export.

Editing on your phone

The Lightroom mobile app has the same core tools. Tap Light for Exposure and Contrast, Color for Temperature and Vibrance, and Effects for Clarity and Vignette. Tap and hold the before icon to compare with the original, and tap Reset to start again. Adobe says edits sync between your phone, desktop and the web, so you can start on one and finish on another.

Save time with presets

Once you've edited a photo you love, save the settings as a preset and apply it to the rest of the set. It's the quickest way to keep a product range or a social feed consistent. If you've bought presets, my guide to installing them is a quick read, and for more visual tools see my roundup of content creation sites.

Editing a set of product photos

For a batch of product shots taken in the same place, edit one photo carefully first: crop, light, white balance and a touch of Vibrance. Then copy those settings to the others, or save them as a preset and apply it to the whole set. Check each photo afterwards, because a product that's darker or shinier than the rest might need a small exposure tweak. The goal is a set where every photo looks like it belongs together, with true-to-life colours so customers aren't surprised when the real thing arrives.

Keep a reference photo open on screen, or the actual product next to you, while you edit colour. It's the simplest way to make sure what customers see on screen matches what they'll get.

My verdict

Crop, click Auto, fine-tune the Light sliders, fix white balance and add a touch of Vibrance. That routine fixes most business photos in under a minute. Keep Saturation and Clarity gentle, use selective edits for faces and skies, and save your favourite look as a preset. For ready-to-post graphics to drop your photos into, try my done-for-you social media images.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use the Auto button in Lightroom?

Yes, as a starting point. Click Auto in the Light panel, then fine-tune the individual sliders.

Where do I start when editing a photo in Lightroom?

Crop first, then click Auto in the Light panel and fine-tune Exposure, Contrast, Highlights and Shadows.

How do I fix a yellow or blue photo in Lightroom?

Use White Balance in the Color panel: pick a preset, use the eyedropper on something neutral, or adjust Temp and Tint.

What's the difference between Vibrance and Saturation?

Vibrance boosts the dullest colours and protects skin tones. Saturation boosts every colour equally.

How do I remove a spot in Lightroom?

Use the Healing Brush tool and click or brush over the spot.

Can I edit just one part of a photo in Lightroom?

Yes. Use selective edits with the Brush, Linear Gradient or Radial Gradient tools.

Do Lightroom edits sync to my phone?

Yes. Adobe says edits sync between Lightroom on mobile, desktop and the web.